§ 5363 — Pay Retention

(a) Any employee— (1) who ceases to be entitled to the benefits of section 5362 of this title by reason of the expiration of the 2-year period of coverage provided under such section; (2) who is in a position subject to this subchapter and who is subject to a reduction or termination of a special rate of pay established under section 5305 of this title (or corresponding prior provision of this title); (3) who is in a position subject to this subchapter and who (but for this section) would be subject to a reduction in pay under circumstances prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management by regulation to warrant the application of this section; or (4) who is in a position subject to this subchapter and who is subject to a reduction or termination of a rate of pay established under subchapter IX of chapter 53; (A) If, as a result of any event described in subsection (a), the employee’s former rate of basic pay is less than or equal to the maximum rate of basic pay payable for the grade of the employee’s position immediately after the occurrence of the event involved, the employee is entitled to basic pay at the lowest rate of basic pay payable for such grade that equals or exceeds such former rate of basic pay. (B) This section shall cease to apply to an employee to whom subparagraph (A) applies once the appropriate rate of basic pay has been determined for such employee under this paragraph. (A) If, as a result of any event described in subsection (a), the employee’s former rate of basic pay is greater than the maximum rate of basic pay payable for the grade of the employee’s position immediately after the occurrence of the event involved, the employee is entitled to basic pay at a rate equal to the lesser of— (i) the employee’s former rate of basic pay; or (ii) 150 percent of the maximum rate of basic pay payable for the grade of the employee’s position immediately after the occurrence of the event involved, (B) A rate to which an employee is entitled under this paragraph shall be increased at the time of any increase in the maximum rate of basic pay payable for the grade of the employee’s position by 50 percent of the dollar amount of each such increase. (3) For purposes of this subsection, the term “former rate of basic pay”, as used with respect to an employee in connection with an event described in subsection (a), means the rate of basic pay last received by such employee before the occurrence of such event. (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, in the case of an employee who— (A) moves to a new official duty station, and (B) in conjunction with such move, becomes subject to both a different pay schedule and (disregarding this subsection) the preceding provisions of this section, (i) first, by determining the rate of pay to which such employee would be entitled at the new official duty station based on such employee’s position, grade, and step (or relative position in the pay range) before the move, and (ii) then, by applying the provisions of this section that would apply (if any), treating the rate determined under clause (i) as if it were the rate last received by the employee before the application of this section. (2) A reduction in an employee’s rate of basic pay resulting from a determination under paragraph (1)(ii) is not a basis for an entitlement under this section. (3) The rate of basic pay for an employee who is receiving a retained rate at the time of moving to a new official duty station at which different pay schedules apply shall be subject to regulations prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management consistent with the purposes of this section. (d) A retained rate shall be considered part of basic pay for purposes of this subchapter and for purposes of subchapter III of chapter 83, chapters 84 and 87, subchapter V of chapter 55, section 5941, and for such other purposes as may be expressly provided for by law or as the Office of Personnel Management may by regulation prescribe. The Office shall, for any purpose other than any of the purposes referred to in the preceding sentence, prescribe by regulation what constitutes basic pay for employees receiving a retained rate. (e) This section shall not apply, or shall cease to apply, to an employee who— (1) has a break in service of 1 workday or more; (2) is entitled, by operation of this subchapter, chapter 51 or 53, or any other provision of law, to a rate of basic pay which is equal to or higher than, or declines a reasonable offer of a position the rate of basic pay for which is equal to or higher than, the retained rate to which the employee would otherwise be entitled; or (3) is demoted for personal cause or at the employee’s request.